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lilnirn raras ldn'rnnir @tries ANGUS P. BREVSATER, OF NEWNAN, GEORGIA.

CAR=COUPLENG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 385,789, dated. July10, 1888.

Application filed March 29, 188B. Serial No. 268,814.

To all whom, it may concern,.-

Beitknown that I, Anous P. Banwsrnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at N ewnan, in the county of Coweta and State of Georgia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

' My invention relates to an improvement in automatic cancouplings; andit consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, as will behereinafter fully described, and specifically designated in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a car-eoupler which willpossessthe advantages of automatically coupling, and being arranged to nncouplefrom a point at the side of the cars, thus avoiding the dangerscoincident with entering between the cars for such purpose. I attainthis object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein like letters of reference indicate similar parts in the severalviews, and in which- Figure lis a side View showing the parts inposition for coupling' and the carframe insection; Fig. 2, a similarview showing the link in a coupled position and the link guide andadjuster lowered, and Fig. 3 is a front elevation.

In the drawings, A represents the ear-frame; B, the draw-bar, which issecured to the frame and held in place by a rod, b, permanently attachedthereto and extending back through a brace or cross-frame, its endprotruding beyond the same and capped by a snit-able nut. A spiralspring, B', surrounds the rod b between the ends of the draw-bar andbeam, its ends abutting against the same, thus acting as a cushion forthe draw-bar.

C G are two side bars running the entire length ofthe draw-bar, andhaving their ends connected by U-shaped rods G' G2, the first of (Nomodel.)

E is a cross-bar secured to the bars C at a point near their forwardends, the ends of the same projectingbeyond the sides of said bars, asshown in Fig. 3. This bar E is bent downward at its center.

F F are two downwardly-extending supports and guides situated on theoutside in close proximity to the bars C, to prevent the same frommoving laterally. They are provided with rccesses or grooves, in whichare mounted swinging latches F, which are pivoted at their upper ends,and have catches or extensions f at their lower ends, which protrudebeyond the rear edges ofthe support-s at a point directly above the endsofthe bar E.

Pivotally secured to suitable hangers, G, between bars G, is a casing,I-I, having a cylinA drical opening running through its center of largerdiameter at its rear than at the forward end, thereby forming ashoulder.

K represents a link-adjusting bar having its rear portion inserted inand extending through the openings in casing H, and which is surroundedand has secured to its enda spiral spring, L', incased in the enlargedportion of casing H.l The forward end of this spring abuts against theshoulder formed by the smaller opening. The forward end of bar K isformed with an upwardlyinclined extension,AL, which has a guide plate,L', secured thereto, of a width equal to the width of the opening in thedrawlhead.

Secured rigidly to the ripper side of the bar Ic is a verticalbearing-arm, M, having friction rolls or wheels M mounted in its upperend, for purposeshereinafter mentioned. A downwardly and forwardlyextending arm, N, is secured to the under side of the'bar k at a pointsomewhat in advance of the bearing M. An elongated opening, O, isniadein the bar k, in which is placed the end ofthe short arm of anoperatinglever, I), which is secured to the frame of the car by auniversal-joint connection, its long arm extending ont beyond the sideof thecar.

R is an inclined downwardly extending catch-block secured to the bottomof the car directly over the bar la, near the bearing-arm M, the forwardside of this catch-block being vertical, as shown.

Having thus described the construction and arrangement of my coupling,the operation IOC may be described as follows: Vhen the pin is to beraised in a position to admit the link in the draw-head, the short armof lever Pis forced down and forward, bringing the arm N on the barkbelow the cross-bar E. The lever then lifts the same,and consequentlythe bars C, up until the ends of the bar E come in contact with thecatches on the latches F', forcing them back, which by gravityimmediately assume their normal position as soon as the ends of the barpass above them. The bars C are thus locked in an elevated position,thereby raising the pin out of the draw-head and in position toimmediately descend and couple the link. As the draw-head of theadjacent ear with the link therein comes in contact with and the linkenters the draw-head, the concussion 'forces the draw-bar back, therebycarrying the bars C, disengaging the ends of bar E from the latches F',and allowing the pin to fall into the draw-head and thus couple thelink. Vhen a car having a lower draw-head is to be coupled,the bar k isforced forward by lever P, the arm N passing over the bent portion ofbar E, and as its inclined end reaches a point beyond the draw-head itis forced up until the wheels in bearing-arm M come in contact with thevertical side of eatehblock R, which holds the bar 7c in its advancedposition. The link,striking the inclined plate,is conducted into the draw-head,and as soon as the adjacent draw-head strikes the inclined endof the bar it forces it down, thereby releasing the bearing arm from thecatch-block, and the spring k immediately draws the bar back to itsnormal position. Then the linkis coupled in the draw-head and it isdesired to raise or lower its outer end to insert it in an adjacentdraw-head, the plate L is brought up in a manner as above described, andthe edge coming in contact with the link raises it to the point directlyopposite the opening in the adjacent draw-head.

It is evident that many minor changes in the construction andarrangement of my improved coupler can be made and substituted for thoseshown and described without in the least departing from the nature andprinciple of myinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a movable draw-bar, of twoside bars having their rear ends attach ed to the rear of the drawbarand their forward ends connected to and extending above the draw-head, apin secured to said bars above the draw-head and the lever,substantially as and for the purpose described. 2. In a ear-coupler, thecombination, with a movable draw-bar, of two side bars paralleltherewith having U-shaped connections, the rear connection beingpermanently secured to the draw-bar and the front connection eX- tendedup above and over the draw-head, a link secured to the front connection,latches arranged at the sides of the said bars, and the lever,substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a movable draw-bar having aeushionspring thereon, of two side bars having U-shaped connections, apin secured to the front connection, supports and guides secured to theframe of the car, and extending down adjacent to said bars, latchesmounted in said supports, a cross-bar having its ends secured to andextending beyond said side bars, and the lever, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination, with the draw-bar, of side barsextending beyond the ends ofthe same and secured thereto, a link-adjusting bar pivoted to the frame-work, having an inclined plateon itsupper end and an arm on its lower end, latches for holding the side barsin an elevated position, and the pin and lever, substantially as and forthe pur'- pose specified.

5. In a car-coupler, the combination, with the draw-bar, of a pivotedlink-adjustil'ig bar arranged beneath the same, having an inclined plateon its upper outer end and a bearingarm on its upper side, adownwardlyextending arm on its lower side, a catch-block secured to theframe, and the lever, substantially as described.

6. In a careoupler, the combination, willi the draw-bar, of a casinghaving an opening therein pivoted to the frame, a link-adjusting barhaving a coiled spring on its outer end inserted in said casing, aninclined plateseenred to the front of said adj ustingbar, arms extending from the upper and under side of said adjusting-bar,a catclrblocksecured to the frame, and the lever, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

7. The combination of the draw-bar B, the rod b, the spring B, the sidebars, C, having end connections, GU, the pin D, the supports F, thecatches F', and the lever I), substantially as described.

8. The. combination of the draw-bar B, the easing H, the link-adjustingbar It, having plate L thereon, the spring K, the bearingarm m, thecatch-block It, and the lever I), substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANGUS I). BREVSTER. [L s] Vitnesses:

R. W. FREEMAN, ORLANDO MeCLENDoN.

IOO

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